Congratulations, Open High!

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From Times Dispatch newspaper report:

U.S. News & World Report’s annual best high schools rankings were published Tuesday and featured some Rich-mond-area schools.
Richmond Public Schools’ Open High School, a small alternative school in the city’s Oregon Hill neighborhood, ranked No. 62 in the country, unchanged from last year. The school enrolls about 180 students, 31% of whom are economically disadvantaged, a rough gauge of poverty, according to state data.
Richmond’s Community High School, a small school for gifted students, ranked No. 164 in the nation, unchanged from last year. Its enrollment was at about 210 students last year, 40% of whom were deemed economically disadvantaged by the state.

Trash/Recycling Pickup Tomorrow Morning

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Tomorrow is a “Red Wednesday”, which means trash and recycling pickup.

Please go over what can be recycled.

NOTE: CVWMA (Central Virginia Waste Management Authority) has announced that all curbside recycling must now be INSIDE the CVWMA containers with lid closed. Items beside the container or on top of it will not be collected. In fact, incorrect setouts may not be collected at all. This is new as of July 1 for all our curbside recyclers, with the exception of townhomes/condos still using small bins. (And yes, this also applies to flattened cardboard boxes.)

Ideally, rolling recycling containers are stored and deployed in the back alleys along with trash cans. Please make sure you pick up containers after pickup tomorrow night. More CVWMA information can be found at this link:
https://cvwma.com/cvwma-locations/richmond/

In order to take your recycling to the next level, read this: 10 ways to improve your recycling.

Got an idea for a community recycling initiative? Apply for a grant!

Code Refresh SCAM Continues…

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Draft 3 of Code Refresh is out today, and the planners made NONE of the changes that were requested by the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association (OHNA) and the Oregon Hill Home Improvement Council (OHHIC).

There is still the same MX-5 and RM-A zoning proposed in Oregon Hill (even as they changed the rest of the Main/Cary St corridor to MX-3).

It’s important to note that OHNA and OHHIC have been sounding off about this for years, even back with Richmond300. Both OHHIC and OHNA requested removing the proposed MX-5 and RM-A zoning in Oregon Hill. Councilperson Stephanie Lynch told Oregon Hill residents and City Council that she was requesting those changes on behalf of the neighborhood.

The scam continues. Even past attempts to lighten the mood with some humor have failed. Citizens should speak up even louder.

Draft 3 image:

Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association August Events newsletter

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The Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association (OHNA) recently emailed its August Events newsletter. As always, residents can subscribe for this newsletter and utilize the OHNA calendar. Visit ohnarva.org

Excerpt:

Craft night at Pine St Baptist Church – Thursday, August 20th, 6:00PM – 8:30PM
• Back-to-School night at Holly Street Playground – Friday, August 21st, 6:30pm – 7:30pm. Bring fruit, treat, or snack to share if you like! Fountain will be on!
• 5th District Code Refresh Meeting: Monday, August 24, 2026; 6pm-8pm; First Unitarian Universalist Church, 1000 Blanton Avenue
• OHNA Meeting (virtual) – Tuesday, August 25, 7:00PM – 9:00PM
• Hollywood Cemetery at Night: Full Moon Tour on Friday, August 28, at 7:30-9:30pm; $25/person; link for more information.
Want to add an event to the September update? Email the Events Committee at ohna-events@googlegroups.com

It’s time to plan the Fall Festival! We need resident input on the fundraising beneficiary. Please fill out this survey to nominate a nonprofit. We will later vote on the nominees to make the final beneficiary selection(s).

From the Events Committee Idea Mill:
Do any of the below ideas pique your interest? Email the events committee at ohna-events@googlegroups.com to link up with others interested in planning these efforts.
• Meals: interested in organizing a food-related event? Ideas can include regular potlucks, food swaps, bulk meal prep.
• Art Show for late 2026 – early 2027: the talent in the neighborhood needs to be showcased! We have a great opportunity to create our own gallery show.
• Holly Street Playground fountain evenings: sign-up for a date to turn the fountain on and off. We can broadcast the opportunity to neighbors.

City-related Info and Updates:
Code Refresh: Round 3 of the city’s re-zoning proposal will be available on Monday 8/17, here: https://rva.gov/planning-development-review/code-refresh.
Public Utilities billing problems: The city is working on fixing its billing system. Customers who believe they may have a billing or payment issue should contact DPU at 804-646-4646 during normal business hours or email dpucustserv@rva.gov
Richmond’s new Department of Transportation has a newsletter. The first issue is here: https://mailchi.mp/rva/introducing-access-rva; or subscribe here: https://rva.us18.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=f99abcad558960f82c27f3ada&id=7d89dcce2d

Pine Street Baptist is also accepting donations for their unhoused services; drop off during neighborhood events or between 9-5 Monday through Thursday. Items needed include travel sized toiletries (sunscreen and bug spray included), shelf stable snacks such as beanie weenies, new socks and underwear. They also maintain a Free Closet where you may donate gently used clothing items and shoes.

Lastly, remember to check the Allianz Amphitheater schedule for upcoming shows in case parking gets tight in the evenings on those days!

New Speed Bump On Idlewood

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Drivers on Idlewood Avenue are adjusting to a new bump between S. Linden Street and South Pine Street. Believe it or not, this speed bump was originally requested as speed calming measure about a decade ago on behalf of the nearby St. Andrews School. For whatever reason, other speed bumps were installed on South Laurel Street, South Pine Street, and South Cherry Street before this one.